The mountain, more than other natural environments, lends itself to a complete physical activity and within everyone’s reach, but it is essential to know some rules to avoid unnecessary risks
We are all increasingly aware of how fundamental physical activity is for the Health of adults and children; The World Health Organization (WHO) underlines how one right dose of physical activity In the age of growth it contributes to development of muscles and bonesof the cardiovascular and endocrine-metabolic system. It also promotes coordination and control ability of movements and facilitates the maintenance of ideal weight.
“Physical activity” does not only mean sports
Our children easily incur the risk of sedentary lifestyle: the hours spent behind the bench added to the homework and at the time spent in front of TV and computer can impigrate the child and condition their present and future lifestyles. However, WHO itself reminds us that physical activity does not necessarily be confused with organized sport: “physical activity” means any body movement produced by the skeletal muscles using energy; This definition therefore includes sport, but also any form of exercise such as playing, walking, moving on foot or by bicycle, climb the stairs on foot, help in housework.
The approach of children to the mountain It can play a fundamental role: walking in the mountains allows you to play complete physical activity and within everyone’s reach. In addition, the Hanging ride activates the respiratory musclespromotes oxygenation and improves cardiovascular activity, stimulating our body overall.
The mountain and in general natural environments also give way to the child to improve their own psychological well -being: staying in contact with nature allows us to download the tensions of everyday life, to listen better to ourselves and the world around us and to admire and Learn to respect animals, plants, flowers and colors.
Minimize risks
The activities in the mountains are often carried out in the family, in the company of friends or with organized groups, and this allows children to make friends and socialize In a non -competitive environment, while testing itself and measuring one’s limits. THE’hiking in the mountains It is therefore an activity with a thousand positive implications, but the mountain must be known and faced safely so as not to run into avoidable risks.
Often the print reports news regarding mountain accidents; Sometimes fatality is inevitable, but they are often inexperienced (or superficial) hunted hunted hunted hikers. For this reason, even to face an easy excursion it is necessary to take all those precautions which allow to achieve the maximum sporting, educational, cultural and fun effect, minimizing any risks.
Bring children closer to the mountain
First of all, the parents who want bring their children closer to the mountain They must take into account their physical abilities, respecting their training, physiological recovery and motivation. During the excursion it is important to maintain a adequate step: at the beginning the children, taken from enthusiasm, tend to “run”, immediately keeping a wrong step (too long passages, too fast and inconstantly pace): after a while they will have exhausted many of the energies and also the desire to climb. It must therefore teach them that From the start, a quiet and more constant passage must be adopted; If you are at altitude without the strength to return, you risk being surprised by bad weather or darkness or you can more easily run into small or large accidents due to tiredness and distraction. It is also important that the Adult behavior is an example to the boys, so that they learn how to approach the mountain, starting from the preparations of the excursion, from backpack to clothing and equipment, up to the behavior along a path: Look where you put your feet, follow the path in advance with your gaze in the case of little visible paths, pay attention to the passage of time, do not leave trace of your passage in full respect of the environment (do not detach branches, do not ruin plants and flowers, Do not abandon your waste but throw them in the appropriate containers once you reach the valley).
Rely on experts
Sometimes knowing how to go to the mountains can also mean knowing how to give up: when the weather is particularly adverse or when our physical conditions do not allow us: educating it is also teaching to give up. For all parents, even if experts and enthusiasts, bringing children and young people to the mountains can become a tiring and frustrating experience: the boys often complain, they do not want to walk, the climb is perceived as boring. For this reason it is easier to face an exit in the mountains with other families with children: When the boys are in the company of others they forget the fatigue and joking, playing with each other, they will go up the path without realizing it. If you want to bring the boys closer to the mountain and you are not sufficiently expert, or you are looking for a way to experience the experience positively and in a group, you can contact the local sections of the Italian Alpine Club: groups of youth mountaineering carry out activities aimed at children and teenagers, in which titled and qualified companions take care of “educating” the mountain and contributing to the growth of the boys making them live fantastic training experiences.
Small, precious rules to remember
Here are some rules to devote themselves to hiking with children and teenagers having fun in safety:
- Know the path, read the topographical card, the relationships of those who preceded us
- Wear adequate clothing (wind jacket, batteries, gloves, even in summer); Scarpones or boots are indispensable for a safer walk on any type of soil
- Don’t run: the mountain is not a race for those who arrive first. Stop to observe the panorama
- Knowing the mountain means knowing how to read the changing time, recognizing dangerous places and finding a passable passage without endangering. We must not hesitate to go back or cancel a trip if the weather conditions are unfavorable.
